


Forever and Always

by lilaussieauthor, theauthenticme



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Canon Lesbian Relationship, Canon lesbians, Cheryl Blossom Needs a Hug, F/F, Hurt/Comfort, Toni Topaz Needs a Hug, cheryl blossom - Freeform, choni, toni topaz - Freeform, tw emotional abuse, tw physical abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-21
Updated: 2019-04-21
Packaged: 2020-01-23 10:05:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,615
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18547582
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lilaussieauthor/pseuds/lilaussieauthor, https://archiveofourown.org/users/theauthenticme/pseuds/theauthenticme
Summary: Cheryl thought she was free of her mother's abuse and torment. Turns out that might not be entirely the case when Penelope pays her a visit at Thistlehouse.When Toni finds out what happened, she takes care of her girl, making sure she knows just how loved and cared for she truly is.





	Forever and Always

**Author's Note:**

> TW for descriptions of emotional and physical abuse in this one.
> 
> This one was emotional to write <3

Cheryl couldn't stand her mother. Years of neglect and abuse were impossible to forget, the memories etched into her brain.

When Penelope had turned up at Thistle House, Cheryl had been relieved that Toni wasn't in. She didn't stand for any of Penelope's crap.

Their conversation had quickly descended into nastiness, a hand too tight around Cheryl's wrist, long nails digging into her arm..a few pushes, a shove. 

By the time Penelope left, Cheryl was a quivering wreck. She knew she was bleeding, the throb in her back intensifying whenever she moved. 

She threw her favorite oversized hoody on,   wrapping a blanket around her shoulders. 

She knew Toni was due back soon, although she'd often end up getting back  later than she planned if it was a busy night at work.

Although her and Toni would usually snuggle on the couch, Cheryl knew she wouldn't be able to do that tonight. She sat herself in the small armchair by the fire, knowing it would be too small for them both to sit in together.

She clicked on the first Netflix show she saw, her mind not focused on it at all as she stared into the roaring fire.  

…

Toni watched, a frown on her face as Penelope's car exited their driveway. The witch of a lady could bring no good news, which meant that something had happened - something that would surely be affecting Cheryl right now, something the redhead would probably try to keep from her, wanting to protect her. 

Toni stepped off her bike and walked quickly up to the front door, reaching into her pocket and swearing lightly when she realised she'd forgotten her key. She knocked quickly on the door, pulling her flannel tighter around her shoulders to shield off the cold.

"Forget your cauldron?" Cheryl asked coldly, pulling the door open a little and expecting to see her mother. She was a total mess on the inside, not that she'd ever let her mother know that.

Toni blinked. "Hello to you too, babe" she laughed softly.

"Toni!" Cheryl blinked. "Sorry I..I thought.." she shook her head. "Where are your keys?"

"Forgot them," Toni admitted sheepishly. "What did you think?" Her girlfriend looked _wrecked_ _,_ Toni decided.

"Nothing important" she shook her head, stepping back carefully to let Toni in. "Can you lock the door?" she requested. 

 

Before Toni could even respond, Cheryl was heading back into the living room, back into the armchair with the blanket over her shoulders.

Toni frowned, locking the door behind her. "How was your evening?" She asked carefully, knowing something was up but not quite sure how to approach it. "You seem off."

"Same old, same old" she shrugged non committedly. "Not off, just getting a headache is all. How was yours?"

Toni pursed her lips, wondering how to get Cheryl to open up properly. "Alright. We weren't busy. Ronnie almost let me off early, but then Peaches had to leave for some 'emergency' so I stayed on. Do you want me to get some advil for your head?"

Cheyl shook her head. "Thanks, but It's okay T. There's dinner for you on the stove.." she pulled the blanket a little further around herself, her gaze back on the warm fire.

Toni's eyes narrowed. "Cher..." She paused. "Okay. I'm getting dinner, and then I need to talk to you, okay? Nothing bad, I promise..." She knew Cheryl's anxiety would flare that last sentence up about 70 times worse than she meant it. "I promise."

"What about T?" Cheryl felt her anxiety rise, but tried to calm herself. There's no way Toni could know her mother had been here, she left a while before Toni had knocked. Maybe it was something that happened with the poisons. "It might have to wait till morning, I'm super tired tonight."

Toni shook her head, dishing herself some dinner and choosing the coffee table rather than the couch to sit on so that she could be closer to Cheryl. "Babe, we've been dating for about a year now..."

"I know TT.." she furrowed her brow, although her gaze was still focused on the fire in front of her.

"Right," Toni said quietly. "Cheryl... I know when something's wrong. I can tell" she leaned forward, taking Cheryl's hand in her own. "Please talk to me."

"I know I can T, you're the only person in this world I can truly trust. I'd trust you with my _life_. And you're right..something is wrong." She let Toni's hand go, let her own hand curl back inside the sleeve of her hoodie. "I have a headache that's just the worst. Maybe I will go get that Advil after all." Her voice sounded weary and drained but she hauled herself up, leaving Toni alone to eat. 

Toni kinda wanted to yell. "Cher, please." _I saw your mother_ , she wanted to yell again. _The hell did she do to you?_

"I'll see you upstairs" Cheryl called from the hallway as her lip wobbled, not going back to the living room. She headed up their room, it was easier that way. She debated having a bath but didn't think she had the energy. She felt more emotionally and physically drained than she had for over a year.

...

Toni growled lowly and abandoned her dinner, trailing her girlfriend quietly. "Cheryl, baby, I'm begging you. Talk to me. Please?" 

This was Cheryl's chance. She had no idea Toni knew about her mother and Toni wanted to see if the redhead trusted her, if she'd tell her about it or if she'd have to ask properly.

Cheryl froze by the door to their bedroom, turning slowly to face the woman she loved. "I just.." she started, her voice breaking a little. "...had a bad night" she didn't know how much more she could say and still keep herself together. She wasn't lying, she didn't ever want to do that with Toni, but didn't know if she could even _talk_ about what had happened with her mother right then. 

"Tell me about it Cher, please.." Toni whispered, pride blossoming in her chest. 

She walked over to Cheryl and wrapped her arms carefully around her. "Please baby."

"My mom.." she started, a sharp breath escaping her lips as Toni's arms wrapped around her. "She..she came over. We talked..and then.. she left... that was it." She carefully unwrapped herself from Toni's loving embrace, her body tense. "Can I go to bed now TT?" she headed over to their bed, pulling back the covers carefully. 

"Cheryl..." Toni's voice was soft, pleading. "Baby, I _want_ to know this stuff. I want to know everything. If you're not... if you're not comfortable with telling me?" Her voice had a slight lilt to it, a little bit of her insecurity showing through. "I'm just trying to help Cher."

Cheryl shook her head, hating that Toni thought that. It wasn't that _at all._ She was ashamed and embarrassed by what had happened with her mother, that she'd _allowed_ it to happen. "No TT..it's not that. _Please_ don't think it's that."

"Then what _is_ it, Cher?" Toni's voice was a whine, but she wanted to help dammit! 

"Please, baby. I want to know - to help. I'm not... I'm not gonna be mad, or... or upset, I just want to make it better - for you."

Cheryl's delicate frame started to tremble, although she didn't seem aware of it as she sat down on the edge of the bed, her gaze in her lap. "When I said we just talked…that wasn't the entire truth.." she was scared to show Toni…maybe telling her would be enough and she wouldn't ask to see.

Toni's heart sunk. "Baby..." She didn't want to say too much - god, she wasn't sure where the line was between saying too much and too little, she just wanted to help Cheryl, to make sure she was okay, to try and fix the mess they were stuck in.

"She..she.." Cheryl buried her face in her hands, quietly crying into them. "She hurt me."

" _Cher_ _"_ Toni breathed, scrambling over to sit next to her girlfriend on the bed and pulling her carefully into her arms. 

 

"Cheryl..." She was crying too, she should've gone in as soon as she got home - in part, this was her fault. "Baby... oh, Cheryl. Can... can I see? I know... I know you probably don't want to show me, but I swear... I can help. I know how to help."

The old Cheryl would probably have denied there was anything worth showing Toni, but she was learning not to be that girl anymore. She nodded as she carefully removed her hoodie, her small tank top underneath not hiding the marks that marred her skin. 

"Shit" Toni whispered. She reached out and carefully ran her fingers over one of the many bruises scattered across her girlfriend's skin. "Cheryl..." A loud sob burst from her lips and she covered her mouth quickly, taking Cheryl's hands in her own and bowing her head, her tears falling at her girlfriend's pain.

"Toni" Cheryl felt awful that she'd upset her. "I'm sorry I made you cry. I shouldn't have said anything.." she hated making Toni sad, guilt weighing heavy in her chest as she tried to pull her hoodie back on. 

"No..." Toni whispered, stilling her hands. "No, no no no. You definitely should have. I'm so proud you did." 

She looked up and wiped her eyes, leaning over and pressing her lips quickly to Cheryl's. "I promise... you did the right thing - I... I'm only crying because... I should've stopped this - I hate seeing you in pain, Cher... I should've - shit," she laughed softly, more tears falling. "I really shouldn't be the one crying, huh?"

"You can cry" she wiped Toni's cheeks with her thumb delicately. "Suppressing emotions was my mother's speciality and I don't want us to be like that." 

She tried to twist to look at the bruises on her back but even the slightest movement caused her pain. "A..are they bad?"

Toni bit her lip. They _were_ , but she didn't want to freak Cheryl out - she didn't want to lie, either. 

"They're... not great" she whispered, running her hand soothingly over the small area of unmarked skin on the redhead's back. "Let me treat them?"

"Okay TT" she agreed with a small nod. She carefully pulled her tank top off, leaving her in just her bra and sweatpants. "Should I stay like this? Or lie down?" She wasn't sure.

Toni looked at her girlfriend's stomach - it wasn't too bad, the majority of bruises were over Cheryl's back and hips, finger marks prominent over her wrists and shoulders as well. "Maybe lay on your stomach? If it doesn't hurt too much."

"I can do that" she manoeuvred herself onto the bed, biting back a moan of pain as she laid down, folding her arms under her head and leaning on them.

"This okay?" she checked, her anxious eyes finding Toni's.

Toni's heart broke over and over again as she looked at Cheryl's back, tears rolling down her cheeks silently as she registered just how much pain Cheryl was in. "That's good, baby. Let me go get some cream... and maybe a bandage, I'll see what you have. Stay there for me."

"There should be some stuff under the sink in the bathroom" she called out, hoping Toni would find it. It was stuff she used to use every time she was hurt by her mother.

"Got it," Toni responded, rummaging through. She found what she needed and returned to the bedroom, uncapping the lid of the cream and smoothing the cold mixture gently into Cheryl's bruises, trying to be as careful as possible as to not worsen the redhead's pain.

"Thank you for doing this T" she whispered, biting her lip a couple of times at the throbbing in her back. 

"Of course," Toni mumbled, biting her lip as she applied dressing to a particularly bad area. "I'm so sorry, baby girl."

"It's okay. Although it hasn't happened in a long time, I'm used to it. It's just..how my mother is."

Toni frowned. "It shouldn't be, though." She finished dressing the wounds on Cheryl's back and tapped her girlfriend's shoulder, helping her sit up so she could start on the bruises over her hips. "I'm sorry."

Cheryl couldn't bring herself to meet Toni's gaze, couldn't _bare_ to see the look in her eyes. How disappointed Toni would be that Cheryl allowed this to happen.

"Cher?" Toni murmured, rubbing cream carefully into a bruise lacing Cheryl's hip. 

"Please tell me what's going on in that head of yours."

"I should have been stronger. Done more.." her voice was laced with tears, coming out in barely more than a whisper.

"Cheryl" Toni whispered. "No. _No_! Don't you dare think that. Stop it. Stop it _right_ _the hell now_. This is not your fault baby girl, and if I hear another word like that come out of your pretty mouth I swear.."

Cheryl flinched. "What? You'll leave me?" The words were out her mouth so fast they barely registered. "I'm weak. I let her win again." Her fingers balled into a fist beside her bruised body, clenching so hard into her hand, her knuckles turned white.

"No... shit, Cheryl. Fuck. I'm not leaving you - I'm _never_ leaving you. I promise." Toni sighed, unsure just how to convey this. "You are not weak, Cher. You're the strongest fucking person I know. Just because your mother is the literal... embodiment of satan - shit, Cher, that's not weak. You're so strong, baby. So, _so_ strong."

"Mother said you'll go eventually. Get sick of me..hate me. Like everyone else in my life has." Cheryl didn't even register that she'd broken the skin on her hand, the blood pooling her under fingertips unnoticed.

"Cheryl," Toni whispered. "Cheryl, no. No, sweetheart. I promise - on my life - that I'll never leave you, not as long as we both live. Your - your mother - shit, I hate her so much, Cheryl. I'm not - I'm not leaving." 

She looked down at her girlfriend's fingers and swore again, bringing the redhead's hands gently up to wipe at them with the damp cloth she was already using on the other marks on Cheryl's body. "I'm not leaving. I know it's really hard to believe right now," she bit her lip. "But I promise you, Cheryl, I'm not going anywhere." 

Tears dripped down Cheryl's cheeks as she searched Toni's face..looking for something that would prove Toni was lying..but she found nothing but honestly and sincerity.

"Do you trust me Cher?" Toni whispered, looking right at her girlfriend, tears pooling in her brown eyes.

Cheryl nodded, her eyes meeting Toni's for the first time that night. "With my life TT."

"Right," Toni breathed. "Then please believe me. I - I could never hate you. I love you with everything I have Cher and that will never change. Not everyone in this world is like your mom, baby. Some of us are good. And I promise you, Cher, I plan on sticking around for the long run."

Cheryl nodded. "I don't think I could face any of this without you. My life would be empty without you in it." She knew Toni was a good person. Better than good. She was the _best_ _._

"Good girl, Cher" Toni breathed. "You're doing so well, I'm proud of you. _So_ proud of you."

 "Can..will.." she shifted, turning to look at Toni. "Will you hold me?" She always felt safe when she laid in Toni's arms.

Toni's insides warmed. "Of course, Cher. I don't wanna hurt you, though babe, so you get comfy." 

In all honesty, she wanted to hold her girlfriend as much as Cher wanted to be held - Toni wasn't sure she would feel as if Cheryl was completely safe unless she had her tight in her arms.

"Thank you" she laid down, her back pressed into Toni's front as they laid together. She was aware she was still shaking, but hoped Toni wouldn't notice. It  would only worry her. 

Of _course_ Toni noticed. But she didn't bring it up, instead running her fingers gently through Cheryl's ginger locks and down her back to try and soothe her trembling girlfriend, holding her tight and trying to slow her heartbeat.

Cheryl felt some of the tension start to ease from her rigid frame, Toni's gentle fingers though her hair and dancing across her back starting to relax her.

Toni shivered, clutching her girlfriend closer. "I love you, Cher."

"I love you too. I'm sorry I didn't tell you about earlier. She said such _hateful_ things." She didn't think she could even tell Toni what they were.

Toni wasn't sure whether she wanted to know. "Like..?"

"About you..me..us.." she rested her hand over Toni's as it was wrapped securely around her.

"That _bitch_.." Toni hissed. "Can you... tell me what? I won't... I won't be mad I just... wanna reassure you." She rubbed Cheryl's hand soothingly, giving her her full attention.

Cheryl swallowed hard, tears in her eyes, her throat clenching at the mere thought of saying it out loud. "She said.." her voice was small and quiet. "She said what we have isn't real. That I'm incapable of  loving anyone and you only want me because of what I can give you. She said..I didn't deserve happiness, that I never would. That one day I'd end up pathetic and alone and the world would be a better place if..if.." she broke off, a sob escaping her lips.

"Shit" Toni whispered, her chest tightening. She gathered Cheryl up tightly in her arms, resting her forehead against the redheads, tears streaming down both of their cheeks. "Cher... Cheryl... baby.." She was out of words, not even sure at this stage how to convince her girlfriend that she loved her. "It is real, it has to be real - I can't... I can't, Cher, I just..." she broke off with a sob. "I can't..."

"I'm sorry" Cheryl hated when Toni cried. "I shouldn't have said anything...now I've upset you too." She wiped Toni's cheeks with her thumb. "I know what we have is real. When I'm with you, I feel alive."

Toni was bawling, sobs wracking her small frame. "I'm sorry, Cher, I - I shouldn't be crying, I just... I want you to know h-how much you me-mean to me and I can't th-think of a way... a way to convey it all, it's so - so much, and I - I'm sorry but I h-hate your mother so much, I want you because you're you Cheryl - not because of - w-what you can g-give me... I want to kill her, Cheryl, because she-she's so wrong and - you do.." she tried to compose herself. "You do deserve all the h-happiness in the world - g-god, I'm so sorry, I can..can't stop crying. I just... I feel a-alive too, baby... she's so wrong - she's so wrong, Cher... you have to know that... she's wrong." She was crying again, sobbing into Cheryl's shoulder as the redhead shook beneath her.

Cheryl wrapped her arms tightly around her girlfriend as they cried together. "I know babe..and I do.." she whispered. "And I know it because of you. You changed my life in the most wonderfully colorful way and  I won't let that witch ruin what we have. What we've built.."

Toni nodded, sniffling. "I'm sorry... I shouldn't cry. I just... I want to make sure you know."

"No need to say sorry my love. You can cry if you want to. I never want to stop you showing your emotions or expressing how you feel."

Toni's tears slowed slightly at those words. She knew showing emotion was a very strong foundation in their relationship and she wanted to make sure it stayed that way. "Promise me, Cher... promise me. Promise you'll never believe what she says. Because she's wrong."

 

"I do. She gets under my skin in the worst possible way..I _know_ what she says isn't true, but there's a part of my brain that's just...conditioned to believe her I guess."

"I know," Toni sighed, more tears tracking their way down her cheeks. "I want to change that part of your brain. If you'll let me."

Cheryl nodded. "It would feel wonderful to feel free from her once and for all."

"I'm gonna try," Toni promised. "I don't know how... but I'll try."

"You're already doing it. You tell me everyday how much you love me. That's..that's something she _never_ did."

"Because I do" Toni said importantly. "I love you so much, Cheryl. You're my everything. And I don't know how many different ways I can say that but I'm trying my hardest to make you believe it because it's the truest thing I've ever said - that I ever will say. I love you."

"I hope you know that I feel the same. I didn't even know what real love was until you. What it felt like to be loved unconditionally" she leaned close and kissed Toni softly.

Toni felt herself exhale against Cheryl's lips, the feeling of her girlfriend finally loosening some of the anxiety that's built up in her chest. "God, I love you," she murmured, an arm snaking around Cheryl's neck to pull her closer.

Cheryl didn't respond with words, instead kissing her girlfriend harder, showing her exactly how much she loved her too.

Toni's breath hitched, arching her body closer to Cheryl's, trying to put across all the love and pure, beautiful feelings she felt, sure that if words couldn't convey this, the kiss would.

**Author's Note:**

> Please let us know what you thought by leaving a comment. They really do mean so much to us.
> 
> If you have any Choni prompts, please also leave them below! 
> 
> Thank you for reading 😍


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